In a manufacturing line of a disposable diaper which is an example of an absorbent article, a stretchable sheet is in an extended state of a certain extension ratio and is transported in a transporting direction, and a substrate sheet is produced by stacking and joining the stretchable sheet onto a low-extensible sheet. In the general case, the substrate sheet remains in the foregoing extended state and is being transported to the downstream process. In the downstream process, the substrate sheet being in the foregoing extended state sequentially undergoes suitable processes such as attaching an absorbent main body which absorbs liquid. Then, the substrate sheet is divided into unit parts each of which corresponds to a single finished diaper. Finally, the diaper is produced.
Following the dividing, the extension of the substrate sheet is released and the substrate sheet contracts in the transporting direction. The substrate sheet is used in the exterior of a diaper, and a plurality of creases are generated in the exterior along a direction intersecting the transporting direction. Accordingly, a finished diaper is at least in a state which the diaper has contracted and is able to extend till the creases completely stretch. As a result, a diaper user such as a wearer can use a stretchable diaper.